Leaders at Ai CEO Infrastructure Developers’
Summit Aim to Reduce Barriers to Large Projects
Cape Town, June 2, 2015—High quality infrastructure project development
with the support of an improving enabling environment in Africa holds the
potential to unlock billions in new private investment.
Africa’s high growth and huge development potential hinge on building
and expanding modern infrastructure, and private investors are more willing
than ever to fund strong projects on the Continent under the right conditions,
according to experts who gathered in Cape Town today at the first Africa
Investor CEO Infrastructure Developers’ Summit
While only about half of the more than $90 billion in regional infrastructure
needs are being financed from any source today, regional and global financiers
face a scarcity of projects capable of being funded. IFC, a member of the
World Bank Group, through IFC InfraVentures was the lead sponsor of the
event, aimed at spurring action to increase the pipeline of financially
viable projects being developed conditions that support them.
"There is no question that Africa is rising," said Jean Philippe
Prosper, IFC Vice President for Global Client Services, in opening keynote
remarks. "However, Africa still faces many challenges—the biggest
of which is infrastructure. Infrastructure project development takes time
and risk, and investors will only commit the effort if the conditions are
right. We want to encourage policymakers to build more capacity to improve
regulation and institutions, and public-private partnerships that balance
interests through appropriate risk sharing mechanisms."
"Infrastructure investment continues to be the single most catalyzing
opportunity to boost industrial development and job creation in Africa,"
said Hubert Danso, CEO of Africa Investor, “There is dearth of engagement
of development partners with project developers working on the continent,
and so today we brought many of them together to encourage ideas on how
to increase the pipeline of future projects that can lead African growth
into the future."
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development
institution focused exclusively on the private sector. Working with private
enterprises in more than 100 countries, we use our capital, expertise,
and influence to help eliminate extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity.
In FY13, our investments climbed to an all-time high of nearly $25 billion,
leveraging the power of the private sector to create jobs and tackle the
world’s most pressing development challenges. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
About Africa investor
Africa investor is a specialist investment and communications firm advising
governments, international organisations and businesses on communication
strategies for capital market and foreign direct investments in Africa.
Africa investor publishes Africa investor, the leading international newsstand
magazine for Africa’s investment decision makers; maintains the Africa
investor 40 Investors’ Index, hosts the Ai CEO Institutional Summit &
Awards and the Ai CEO Infrastructure Investment Summit & Awards, among
other events.
Learn morewww.aidevelopersummit.comwww.africainvestor.com
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